Kan Malamir

Malamir was a medieval Bulgarian ruler of the Krum dynasty who ruled the First Bulgarian state from 831 to 836.

He was the third and youngest son of Khan Omurtag and a grandson of Khan Krum. Malamir took the throne after the premature death of his elder brother Zvinitsa and the exclusion of his eldest brother Enravota, also known as Voin, from the succession because of his sympathy for Christianity.

During his reign, Malamir continued the building activity begun by his father. This work included the completion of Pliska’s water supply and the incorporation of present-day Plovdiv. Malamir’s foreign policy aimed to maintain good relations with the Frankish Empire and Byzantium.

In 836, the Byzantine emperor Theophilos violated the 30-year peace treaty signed with Omurtag and launched a campaign against Bulgaria. Under the leadership of Kavhan Isbul, the Bulgarians responded by penetrating Byzantine territory and reaching Adrianople. They then attacked Plovdiv and, following negotiations with its inhabitants, entered the city, which became part of Bulgaria.

Malamir’s death in 836 was unexpected, and its causes are unknown. As he left no heirs, the throne passed to his nephew Presian, a son of his brother Zvinitsa.